The present invention relates generally to yarns, fabrics and protective garments knitted of such yarns and, more particularly, to an improved lightweight yarn which may be knitted into an improved, more comfortable, more flexible lightweight protective garment, such as a glove, which may be worn by a surgeon underneath a rubber or latex surgical glove.
In our prior applications referred to above and in our prior U.S. Pat. No. 4,777,789, we described certain technological advantages of various configurations of yarns, for use in protective garments, and technological advantages of certain fibers which may be utilized in yarns for protective garments. The applications and patent, and the references cited in each, describe numerous uses for cut-resistant yarns and garments such as, but not limited to, the meat processing industry. The yarns described in the prior applications and patent are all suitable for the purposes described therein.
It is well known that surgeons, pathologists, laboratory technicians and persons involved in research with animals wear sterile, protective gloves commonly referred to as "rubber" gloves which are, in fact, usually made of latex. Latex gloves serve the dual purpose of providing a sterile glove and protecting the hands of the wearer against various microorganisms. Latex gloves, however, do not provide any meaningful protection against accidental nicks and cuts from a scalpel or the like. Thus, prior to the present invention, there was no known protection for persons who wore rubber surgical gloves and who were exposed to the risk of accidental cuts from the blades of scalpels or from other sharp edges.